Cherry Blossom

underneath the blooming cherry trees anything can happen

the taboos of winter have lifted

young couples hold hands and lounge in each other’s arms

nature’s frilly curtains surround these semi-public resting spaces

raucous crowds of students neck too much wine and fall into each other

a classmate shares with me a poem he wrote for his girlfriend after their first love-making

people’s hearts are blooming even if they use AI to write their erotica

a sun-hatted, mask-wearing woman gives me a pink origami crane as a present by the river

my 82 year old friend invites me under the lowest branches of a tree with white blossom

and we squat there for a while, grateful for the shade on this scorching day

‘we are like cats’ she says, she fills her cupped hands with fallen petals and blows them away